Experiences of pregnancy loss in Israeli first-time expecting fathers: A qualitative study
Title
Experiences of pregnancy loss in Israeli first-time expecting fathers: A qualitative study
Creator
Gershfeld-Litvin A; Ressler I; Bar YY
Identifier
Publisher
Psychology of Men and Masculinities
Date
2024
Subject
Grief; Communication; Somatoform Disorders; Qualitative Studies; Human; Support Psychosocial; Jews; Life Experiences; Thematic Analysis; Coping; Shock; Social Identity; Semi-Structured Interview; Psychosocial Factors; Abortion Spontaneous; Expectant Fathers
Description
Abstract The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of pregnancy loss in first-time expecting fathers. Participants were 14 Jewish Israeli men who experienced pregnancy loss that occurred at least 3 months before their participation and who had no other children at the time of the loss. Semistructured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis revealed five theme clusters. The first was “consolidating father identity”: Men had been engaged in consolidating their identities as fathers as pregnancy progressed and felt this identity was lost following the pregnancy loss. The second cluster was “experiencing the loss”: Shock, confrontation, and somatization were the main reactions. The third cluster was “reconstructing meaning”: fathers engaged in meaning reconstruction to make sense of and cope with the loss. The fourth cluster was “experiencing disenfranchisement”: Social and self-disenfranchisement were found as barriers to grief. The fifth cluster was “preparing for future fatherhood”: Fathers were concerned that the loss would negatively affect their attachment with future children. Findings suggest that pregnancy loss may lead to deconstruction of the fatherhood identity, thereby necessitating meaning reconstruction processes to take place. They also suggest that men oscillate between confronting and avoiding their loss. Finally, these findings highlight a need for individual and group interventions as well as implementation of inclusive communication within health care systems to support men in their grief after pregnancy loss.
Rights
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
Citation List Month
June List 2024
URL Address
Collection
Citation
Gershfeld-Litvin A; Ressler I; Bar YY, “Experiences of pregnancy loss in Israeli first-time expecting fathers: A qualitative study,” Pediatric Palliative Care Library, accessed February 10, 2025, https://pedpalascnetlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/19614.